Cris Carter: Adrian Peterson stinks, just like I did with the Dolphins

Posted by Michael David Smith on August 30, 2018, 8:15 AM EST

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Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter remembers how his own career ended, and he thinks future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson is due for a similar ending.

Carter, who played his 16th and final season in Miami and caught just eight passes, believes Peterson is in for a similar season in Washington this year.

“Did you see me in a Dolphins uniform?” Carter told USA Today. “I had no business playing that season. I wouldn’t have admitted it, either. These guys get so sensitive about everything. Adrian had better get over himself. We were all great. But at the end, we all smelled like a baby’s diaper.”

Peterson heard Carter make similar comments on FS1 and was not happy about it.

“Watching some of the things they said about me, man, it really hurt me to the core,” Peterson told USA Today. “Not only are they black men, but these are people I looked up to. And these are people that made mistakes, especially Cris Carter. So some of the things that came out of his mouth, not only personally, but about me as a player – aw, he’s washed up and this, that and the other, and he should just retire – how dare you.

Peterson insists he has plenty of gas left in the tank and even thinks he can lead the league in rushing. That’s a pipe dream, but he’ll at least try to be better than Carter was with the Dolphins.

We will find out soon enough. Carter is payed to give his opinion and like Carter said, don’t be so sensitive and take it personally. You made the money you do because of guys like Carter that made the game great and now he looks for relevancy and to cash a paycheck with his opinions about you. Maybe one day you will too.

Peterson is not the player he once was but he also isn’t Chris Carter in his 16th season. Is Peterson the 2k back, hell no he isn’t. With that thought, he can probably still get close to 1k and be effective. Which is all the skins need from him. Don’t give AP the ball 20 times a game but rather let him get in that 15 touch range. The goal should be to not run him into the ground but keep him upright all season. Use a multi-back system like that of the Eagles last season and you can get a lot of mileage out of AP.

AP has quite a good deal of precedent against him, but who knows? If he is used correctly, he could be effective.

Cris Carter on the other hand, as much as it pains me to slam a Buckeye, revels in making the most outlandish and absurd statements he can – because he has learned that it will get his name in print. And that’s really all he has left. Make enough noise and hope that somebody is willing to give him a bully pulpit. Ain’t gonna happen.

Lets be honest, AP has been one of the most dynamic freak athletes of this generation. Has he lost a step? Sure. But if you give him 20 carries a game hes gonna get you 100+ and a TD.

But the game has also changed around him so the chances of him getting that many carries is slim, hes never really been that valuable in passing situations and thats not gonna change. The days of him wearing out defenses before half time are over and arguably that means hes done too.

Who cares if he’s black! Why does an opinion of someone your own race weigh more than someone outside your race?? Can we ever move forward and realize how silly all this is. The color of your skin is only as big a deal as you make it. Its 2018 folks!

League minimum salary this year for 10+ year veterans is $1,015,000.
If someone offers me that type of money to play for their team, as horrible as I am, I’m going to say thanks, let’s go tear it up! (And then count on the remaining portion of that salary to cover my medical bills.)
If Cris Carter didn’t turn it down when that salary was much much less, why would AP turn it down now?

Cris Carter is probably top 5 greatest Vikings ever. Too bad his mouth came with him. Funny the Vikings played the Dolphins that year and Gary Anderson was lining up to kick a 53 yard game winning field goal. CC was running up and down the sideline telling all of the Dolphins he can’t kick it that far. Gary nailed it, game over. Carters mouth actually quit moving for once. Classic.

Carter had 8 catches for 60 or so yards 1 TD and 1 fumble his last year in Miami. Peterson will probably surpass that in week 1. It’s obvious that AP is nit the dominating RB he was in his prime but at the same time he is on a Washington team that thru injuries is weak at RB position.

Carters year w the Dolphins is hands down one of the worst seasons ever by a HOF player and I doubt any future HOF player including AP will ever have such a pathetic year as the one Carter had.

I can’t tell if AP thinks because Carter is black he shouldn’t be criticizing other black people, or if he means that criticism means more from a black person and that’s why it hurt him. Either way it sounds a bit racist.

blackstrat says:
August 30, 2018 at 8:23 am
Now I am pulling for Peterson all the more.
What business is it of Carters, if AP believes he still has the juice to play the game he loves?
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Uh, I think it’s his job. That’s what business he has. CC’s job is now to talk about the NFL from a media’s perspective but through the lens of a former player. Why is it that AP thinks he’s a “sell out” when he’s just doing his job? CC isn’t a player anymore so he doesn’t need to stroke egos or be a good teammate. His job is to tell the fan what is REALLY going on.
I appreciate that CC calls it like it is.

Why did Petersen have to say, “not only are they black men…..”? Is everything about race with these guys?
As for what Carter is saying, he went too far but his basic point is correct. Most athletes hang around too long. The worst case of that was Muhammed Ali and he paid for it dearly with his health. Mickey Mantle always regretted playing his last year in 1968. His body had completely broken down and because he played that year and only hit .237, his lifetime batting average fell below .300 at .298. That really bothered him because he wanted to be a lifetime .300 hitter. I remember seeing him swing and miss and fall down, just as Babe Ruth had done in his last years.
Brett Favre says he realizes now his drive to be on the field all the time was foolish, too.
Peterson might not like what Carter is saying, but most of it is the truth.

He may not be washed up but he will not lead the league in rushing, it’s just not going to happen. The reason it “really hurt me to the core” was because there is probably a bit of truth to the tone of Chris’s statement.

Fact is, ADP was better when he was Purple. He no longer is, and he is no longer great. Tough to just be one of the bunch trying to earn a job. Hope that didn’t hurt too much. Tissues available upon request.

Some people walk away early and some want to get every last drop out their career and body. I agree with the sentiment on here that the decision should be left to AP. He may be washed up but If he retired early AP would always always be left winderung if he had one more season left in him. He’s just that type of competitive personality.

You would think that by this point, AP would know not to be totally offended by something controversial being said- by someone who is paid to say things controversial! AP you know this is how things work.

Now if he is just going to use this as a chip on his shoulder and be ticked off and be able to channel that into usable motivation, good for him. May as well use it as fuel.

Why come into the media and act all hurt though. It kind of seems like he is soft by doing that…and AP is supposed to be anything but soft.

Peterson, at this point, can still play in the NFL. At the end Carter couldn’t.

For Peterson the issue is staying healthy. If he can do that, he can contribute. Even at this stage of his career, he’s the best short yardage back on the Redskins’ roster. And that’s something they really need.

Both guys are all time great NFL ballers. HOFers! One is still trying to make a living playing, the other trying to make a living on the air. When you work in the media, you have to say something. That’s all Carter is trying to do. I have no problem with either one of these players. I do have problems with Adrian Petersen the person, but that’s a whole other story.

The thing to worry about is Peterson wearing down. The Skins have to be smart about managing his carries and he has to take what the defense gives him, which may result in fewer long runs but game sustaining drives.

As others have said, what does being black have anything to do with anything?

Wasn’t it Martin Luther King Jr who said his dream was to be judged on the content of his character, not the color of his skin? At the time, he was talking about white folks. I doubt he ever dreamed it would be black folks that would need to be reminded of this.

I’ll admitafter a couple years of never seeing him I only recently saw a portion of a preseason game with him, but I thought Petersen was running pretty well in it. Maybe not the freak of nature he once was, but still well good enough to be worth a soft salary. It was looking to me like the Skins might have scored a bargain there. What an I missing?

The last time I saw Peterson running well, he was wearing purple. I hope he makes a comeback. Maybe the Cardinals’ OL was just trash and didn’t open up any holes, but in his prime, he made holes as he went. Best of luck.

Peterson is playing for the league minimum cause he still wants to play. He looked good at times for AZ in the beginning of the year but fell off. Maybe its his age or maybe he was banged up or both. Either way I hope he has a good year and can carry the load. Although at his age they can’t give him too many carries or he will look like he ended up last year. Can’t stand Cris Carter and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him bomb while he was in Miami.

The problem with AP is that he needs 20 carries to be effective. If you only give him 5-10 he quite likely will only get you 20-30 yards. It’s the fact he can break one for a 50 yard TD that made him dangerous and pumped up his average YPC.

Not saying Carter is right on all accounts, but I’m sure he is right when he says all these players are to sensitive to everything. I’m sure it’s hard for a player that was once dominant like Carter and AD were to admit that they don’t have it anymore.

Who is Carter to be criticizing? HE IS A PUNDIT. HIS BUSINESS IS OPINION ABOUT PRO FOOTBALL. He isn’t a reporter, he is telling you what he thinks, and I agree with him. Peterson is becoming a sad shadow of a once great player. Historically, the player is the last person to realize he is washed up. The tape doesn’t lie, every carry he has ever had is on tape. Look at the tape from the last three years. Yeah, he will have an occasional flash, but he can’t do it on every play anymore. It isn’t arguable, look at his numbers. He is a stopgap for a team in crisis at RB, he isn’t going to lead the league in anything except possibly fumbles or negative carries.

Cris Carter also said Calvin Johnson was only good on video games… so there is that. However we all know AP is past his prime but I don’t think he’s the equivalent of 8 catches in a season bad haha. I didn’t even know Carter played for the dolphins.

I can understand why a team gives AP a chance. He can actually produce. CC on the other hand is a dope. Crying on tv because his Mom used corporal punishment and telling players to get a fall guy. Why does any network employ this jerk who does nothing but make outlandish statements to get noticed. AP is a former MVP, show some respect. You wouldnt say anything like that about Bret or Payton or Tom. Payton was weak his last season, did slam him? CC is a hypocritic and sell out. Have a good season AP.

Chris Carter was a possession receiver. A great one in his prime, but never a burner. Physically Carter fell to the point he couldn’t get open.

Peterson has always been a freak of nature. He’s not at his peak, but he can still contribute and do well. He still runs hard and is still fast enough.

He still has something left, as he showed in AZ at time. The reason his YPC fell off was that we had no QB and most of our line was injured. They stacked the box.

Nevertheless, he still averaged about a yard per carry more than anyone else we had behind the beat up line with no passing threat.

I wanted to keep him, but with David Johnson returning, TJ Logan (a rookie who also got injured) returning, there just wasn’t room for him at his salary. We also had plans to draft someone since we drafted Edmonds.

I think he’ll be pretty decent in Washington. Alex Smith can keep defenses honest, and the Redskins have a pretty decent run blocking line. He won’t have to completely carry the load.

Race has a lot to do with it because as Peterson said, he looked up to some of these guys as other black men when growing up. However, they’re doing the song and dance because some TV executive told them to do it when they didn’t criticize Peyton Manning when he looked way more washed up than I’ve seen Peterson look since he left Minnesota. How many of these same buffoons were saying Peyton should be able to walk away when he wanted to because he was once great even though we all saw him as a bystander for that Bronco Super Bowl? That’s what I can’t stand is a hypocrite, and I’m sure Peterson sees the irony and has noted it. Like why are you even hot taking on Adrian Peterson to begin with? he’s on a minimum contract for a team that’s not a contender. So they onl reason they’re doing it is because somebody over their head told them to dance, and being the sell-out losers they are, they did it. Have a little integrity.

I remember Carter being pretty darned good. He certainly is qualified to comment. Actually, anyone is qualified. I doubt if anyone posting here played pro ball, but you all have your opinions. So, drop the idiocy of criticizing Carter based on your subjective judgment about his qualifications.

Chris Carter was 37 and was working at HBO’s inside the NFL and was plucked off the couch by the Dolphins in late October. He was probably out of shape. AP is 33 and constantly working out… Big Difference.

If Peterson wants to try to hang on as long as he can, and someone will pay him, I have no problem with that. But, if he is a shell of his former self, and someone points it out, then AP shouldn’t be so sensitive about it.

2015 was a good season, 2014 & 2016 were lost seasons, and last year was a back very much in decline (3.4 yards per carry). But, if Washington thinks he is as good, or better, than the guys they had, then more power to them and best of luck.

IMO, Cris Carter is a loudmouth with a TV show, so he has to say provocative things to try and get people to watch his show.

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How is this at all provocative though? It is a run of the mill opinion that he is paid to give. Someone in media saying you’re done, or “not what you once were” is just about the most ubiquitous thing ever. And then other comments saying Carter is a coward, I mean, that doesn’t even make sense. A coward would be afraid to say how he is really feeling

As a Cardinals fan – I saw him personally win two games for us without any help from the passing game. Had he not played the team would have been 6-10 rather than 8-8. He is FAR from washed up. I believe it so much that I drafted him in my fantasy draft in the 7th round. If you didn’t watch him run last year….you need to look it up. He ran HARD. I’ll call someone washed up when they’re washed up….AP is NOT washed up. I’ll tell you a player that’s washed up…it’s Badger….his play fell through the roof and landed hard. He wasn’t in any plays last year…ever since his second ACL tear his speed is way down and he was tentative on the field. Either way…back to AP…

Let’s not gloss over that AP was referred to in this article as a “future hall of famer”. I think he has some work to do before he’s a shoe in for the HOF.

I don’t doubt that AP still has the skill set, strength and speed but the game around him has changed. Right now the NFL is all about hybrid guys with multiple skills. AP is 1-3 down guy, can’t block, can’t catch. What do you do with a guy like that in today’s game plan?

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To the Redskins fans hoping for a great revival of AP. Please know this is coming from a fan of him in his time with the Vikings, and someone who thinks if he would have played the game 2 decades ago or before he might be remembered as the greatest football player in the history of the game.

It broke my heart to watch but every singe team figured out that if you run blitz every play AP is on the field one of two things happens. If they give him the ball a great chance you tackle him for a loss, if they don’t give him the ball there is zero % chance he picks up the blitz and you risk injury to your QB. Until if figures out that pass protection is in important part of his job he has very little chance to be great or even good for that matter.

Best bet he hopefully still can be a serviceable short yardage/goal-line back.

gghiker says:
August 30, 2018 at 12:54 pm
Look at the way the Jets used Ladanian Thomlinson for 2 seasons, no reason you can’t do the same for Peterson and be successful rather than embarrassing.

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Not a great comparison because LT was elite at catching passes, and very good at pass protection. Two skills that AP seemingly could do, but doesn’t seem to put a high priority on getting better at. He would be good with two TE sets and a grind it out offense if that is what the Skins are willing to run, he could be serviceable.

Also, some of you silly white people need to stop getting triggered any time a black person brings up race. It wasn’t directed at you, so why are you commenting on it or getting offended. What he said about those idiots that were dancing like their bosses told them to know exactly what he’s talking about and what context it was meant in. Stop taking everything personally or so that’s what I hear you dummies say any time you want to criticize someone for being “PC.”

ragnarthemagnificent says:
August 30, 2018 at 1:24 pm
Let’s not gloss over that AP was referred to in this article as a “future hall of famer”. I think he has some work to do before he’s a shoe in for the HOF.
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That’s one of the dumbest statements I’ve ever read on this site. I don’t say that lightly. Congratulations.

This guy only goes after white women and hates white people. Par for the course with these people. He loved Minnesota so much because it is full of sheltered clueless white girls who think all blacks are like Will Smith from Fresh Prince of Bel Air because they only see them on tv and the media brainwashes them to think all blacks are gods.

I’m sorry but there aren’t that many backs that can hit 22 mph in the open, his line sucked the last few years. His glory years were when his Offensive line could seal off the ends for hi. once he hit green man the guy was GONE. Chris needs to get a throw-down guy to talk for him cause everything coming out of his mouth is trash… AP will be a first year HOF player.

I guess Carter has learned to embrace the suck. Wow……that tour of duty with the Vikings must really get deep inside heads. No wonder Viking fans like to pick fights. I mean, the frustration must be overwhelming.

“Did you see me in a Dolphins uniform?” Carter told USA Today. “I had no business playing that season. I wouldn’t have admitted it, either.”

Chris Carter does have something in common with Bill Parcells. They both went to Miami for one last money grab and did absolutely nothing. At least in Carter’s case he didn’t set the franchise up for failure by leaving his protege in charge. I know fans will point to the Division title the Dolphins won, but that was by sheer luck. Brady blew his knee out, Chad Pennington fell into their lap and their schedule was one of the weakest in the league that year.

Players are way too sensitive. CC is just speaking his mind, maybe he’s right, maybe he’s wrong. Let’s be honest, the only reason Skins brought him in is because Guice went down. AP has been a great player for many years, but everyone hits the wall at some point.